Pride and Joy
by Lin Is Amazing
Summary: He just wanted to receive the same affection that his siblings were showered with. He just wanted to hear those words for himself.


At first Bumi's heart was so overfilled with joy for his little brother, that he didn't realize the small crack starting to from at the edges.

The little boy had picked up his younger brother, swinging him around in circles, as his mother scolded him and reminded him to be careful. He threw his brother lightly in the air and the younger boy let out a joyful laugh. Bumi grinned as he pulled him in close for a tight hug.

"Oh mom! This is great! This is amazing!" His younger sister had grabbed their brother from him, doting on him. Bumi jumped around the room filled with enthusiasm. Just then his dad entered the room.

"What's with all the ruckus?" Bumi ran to his father and jumped into his arms. His dad caught him effortlessly.

"Oh, Dad, you won't believe it! Tenzie just air bent!" Aang's eyes grew wide as he ran over to his youngest child, merely a few years old, running around with his older sister.

"What? Really! That's great!" As if on cue, the little boy sneezed and sent Kya flying, Katara ran to catch her daughter before she got hurt. Aang picked up his son and kissed his forehead, eyes beaming with pride, as he lifted him up higher. "I can't believe this! This is wonderful!"

/

Bumi had just entered his teenaged years and was outside practicing and honing his skills. His Uncle Sokka had handmade him a sword and gifted him some throwing knives for his birthday and he had practiced with them every day since then.

"Bumi, you're a brave, young and talented kid. Reminds me of myself at your age!" Sokka let out a hearty chuckle as he ruffled his nephew's hair.

"Thank you, Uncle!" Bumi bowed his head to his Uncle, smile beaming on his face at the praise. They chatted and Sokka gave Bumi fighting advice before he departed on a ferry to Republic City. Bumi continued his practice, he was devoted to his training and he wanted to make his parents proud. He heard footsteps behind him and whirled around to see his dad approaching. His father smiled at him and patted his back.

"Sokka has been showering you with praises all day. Good job Bumi, you've been making excellent progress I hear!"

"Here dad, let me show you something! Uncle Sokka gave me these throwing knives and I've been practicing all week! I can hit the target from all the way over here now!" Bumi ran to collect his throwing knives and ran back to where his dad was.

"Really! That's quite impressive!" Bumi took a deep breath squinted his eyes, focusing in on the target that Sokka had painted on a tree. He threw the knives in quick succession, each one landing in the center of his target.

"Holy spirit realms! That's amazing!" Bumi's face broke out into the biggest grin, he turned to face his father. Aang had the biggest smile on his face Bumi's heart was filled with pride. All his training was starting to pay off. His smile dropped when he realized his father's eyes were focused on something behind him. He followed his father's gaze as Aang ran over to his brother. Tenzin had created a mini tornado and was spinning it around the training grounds, collecting all the leaves into a neat pile. Aang pulled Tenzin into a hug, pride beaming on his face.

"I am so _proud_ of you, my son." The way the affection and adoration dripped on every syllable slipping from his father's lips, pierced his ears. The love contained in that one sentence, was as sweet as honey to Tenzin, but it brought nothing, but a bitter taste mixed together with the metal taste of blood, as Bumi bit down on his lips. The sadness flashed briefly in his eyes but was quickly replaced by the happiness he felt for his younger brother. He walked to Tenzin's side and patted the younger boy on the back, congratulating him. '_I don't need to ruin anyone's mood, with my own selfishness'_ he believed no one saw the hurt behind his bright and cheery eyes. But he was wrong. A pair of observant jade eyes watched him closely, not missing that passing glimpse of pain and sadness. Bumi watched as his family celebrated the little boy's success with a soft smile, that hid the growing crack in his heart.

/

He'd practiced relentlessly on his swordsmanship. He advanced quickly and his Uncle was surprised at his level of progress. He continued to shower praise and approval to Katara and Aang. His sister nodded her head with a smile on her face.

"Of course, he has one of the best fighters teaching him! He's taking up after you and I couldn't be happier. Thank you Sokka."

The three siblings were out on the training fields, joined by their childhood friend. Tenzin and Kya sparred together, while Bumi sparred with Lin. Lin was a good bender for her age but of course, she was still a little kid. She was only 9 years old, yet to hit the double digits. Yet Lin had refrained from using her bending. Not because she had looked down on Bumi, she respected and looked up to her friend. Admired him for his talents, and she challenged herself to fight him on equal grounds. Bumi had caught Lin's foot and flipped her over onto her back. He extended his hand to help his little friend of the ground. Lin had a smile beaming on her face.

"You're too fast Bumi! You need to help me train more." The two friends let out a chuckle. What could he ever teach her? He laughed at the mere thought of him helping his little earth bending friend. What a joke. But when his gaze met hers, he saw the sincerity and seriousness of her words.

"You want _me_ to help you train?" Bumi raised a brow at her.

"Of course, you knucklehead! Who else? I never get to practice sparring with Sokka, you guys are always together. He never has time for me anymore." Lin pouted as she crossed her arms. Bumi pinched her cheeks and she smacked his hand away.

"Alright sweetcheeks! We're gonna start bright and early tomorrow!" Lin's jade eyes lit up and she flashed an adorable smile at the older boy. "Just letting you know, _I'm_ the one who should be jealous! Uncle Sokka is always hanging out with you and showering you with gifts!" the two laughed and joked around with each other playfully. Suddenly they both are knocked over by a towering wave of water. Bumi recovered quickly and helped his friend up. Lin coughed out the water and turned to glare at the person responsible.

"Kya! Sweetie, did you do that?" Katara went running over to her daughter, enveloping her in a heartwarming hug. "I can't believe you did that! I'm so proud of you, you're amazing sweetie!" Katara kissed her daughter's cheeks beaming with pride.

Bumi stood there watching his mother dote on her young prodigy. Lin glanced at Bumi and saw a forced smile accompanied with a pained expression. He collected himself and went over to his sister, pulling her in close for a one-armed hug, ruffling up her hair.

"Boom Boom, lemme go!"

"No way, waterslug! I'm gonna get my revenge! You soaked my favorite shirt!" Bumi tackled his sister to the ground and tickled her. The ended up chasing one another until they both fell onto the ground, exhausted.

"Hey, I love you Boom Boom!" Kya squeezed her older brother as hard as she could. Bumi smiled down at his younger sister, eyes filled with love.

"I love you too, waterslug."

The cracks in his heart continued to creep along the edges, slowly spreading. But his love for his family were the stitches holding the pieces together.

/

Bumi was a young adult now, barely out of his teenage years. There was a gala approaching and Bumi needed a plus one, a date, for the event. '_I'm just going to ask her as a friend. Yep… That's all there is to it. Nothing more.'_ It wasn't like he constantly admired her as she was flourishing into a beautiful young woman. It wasn't like they spent a lot of time together and he felt little butterflies tingling whenever their hugs lasted a little longer. It's not like Bumi couldn't keep himself from smiling and was a blushing idiot whenever he saw her. Bumi brushed his fingers through his short but messy hair and dusted off the nonexistent dust on his shirt. He grabbed the bouquet of bluebells and hydrangeas and stormed off to the restaurant. He was supposed to meet his siblings, Izumi, and Lin at their favorite restaurant. He neared the restaurant, glancing at his watch. '_Perfect! I'm 15 minutes early, I'll just ask her before the others get here.' _He rounded the corner and felt a knot in his stomach. His brother stood there with a sheepish grin on his face as he chatted with Lin. A bouquet of roses in his hand, rubbing the back of his neck nervously. A bright smile beamed from Lin's face as she wrapped her arms around his neck. Once the two separated from their embrace she punched his arm and the two chatted happily. '_Of course… he would ask her first. I'm such an idiot!' _Bumi mentally smacked himself. _"Don't you see the way they looked at each other?'_ The two were almost attached by the hip. Bumi stood there reflecting on all the times his brother's face lit up upon seeing the earth bender. How he desperately tried to impress her. How he acted like an idiot whenever she was around. '_Just like you…"_

A sudden hand on his arm shocked him back to reality. He turned to face his sister. He flashed her his signature grin. He prayed to his great uncle Iroh, that she hadn't seen him looking so defeated. Of course, she hadn't he was a trained actor. His grin was second nature and trained to beam and exude confidence in the blink of an eye.

"Hey, you're here early." Kya's eyes glanced to the bouquet in his hands and then to the two chatting near the entrance of the restaurant. "Who are those for?"

"Who? For my wonderful and perfect little sister of course!" He pinched her cheeks playfully. Kya studied his expression; she could've sworn she saw him looking distressed when she had approached him. After carefully examining him she dismissed it to her imagination. Her brother was ever the loud and cheerful person as ever.

"Hmm…" She tilted her head a she held her chin, giving him a skeptical look.

"What?"

"You know my favorite flowers are peonies. I'm shocked that _you_ would forget…." Bumi smiled nervously at his sister.

"You caught me! They are for someone else. But, its nothing serious, just as a plus one to the gala." Bumi had rehearsed the last line all morning. He didn't want his real feelings to show. He spotted a familiar face approaching the restaurant and he gently nudged his sister aside.

"Watch, I'll show you how a true ladies' man does it." Bumi winked at Kya as he strutted over to the fire princess, exuding confidence. He flashed her a charismatic smile.

"Hello, Bumi. You're early."

"Of course, my lady! I've been waiting for you to grace me with your presence." He winked at her and Izumi rolled her eyes as her cheeks flushed a pretty pink. "I wanted to ask, if you would be so kind, to come as my date to the gala." He handed her the bouquet and she accepted it. She smiled at her friend and saw Kya giving her a thumbs up from the background. Izumi cleared her throat.

"I guess it wouldn't hurt to go with-" Bumi pulled her into a bone crushing hug.

"Aww! Zumi you made my day! We'll have the best time ever!" Izumi laughed at his overly affectionate display. Tenzin and Lin approached the others and Tenzin congratulated his brother. The group chatted happily and decided it was time to eat when their stomachs reminded them why they were there in the first place. Bumi shot a fleeting look behind him towards a certain earth bender as he wrapped his arm around his brother's neck dragging him into the restaurant. The girls walked side by side and Lin caught site of Izumi's bouquet.

"Zumi, you like hydrangeas too?" Izumi studied the bouquet.

"What? Which ones are those?" Lin pointed to them and inhaled the scent of the flowers. A smile forming.

"These are my favorite." Izumi shrugged at her friend.

"Mine are spider lilies but what can you expect from Bumi." The two laughed as Kya glanced from the bouquet to Lin. Realization dawning on her and she forced herself to dismiss it as a mistake.

/

Bumi stood near the food table at the gala. Izumi was with her father talking to important and authoritative figures, those whose names he couldn't recall. They hadn't spared him a second glance when they studied him, deeming him unworthy of their interest. Tenzin and Kya were constantly swarmed by people poking into their personal life. Bumi felt relieved to have space from them, but he couldn't help the tiny bit of jealousy eating at him. As he continued to eat and study the couples dancing, his eyes landed on Tenzin and Lin. Tenzin was smiling from ear to ear and Lin returned a shy smile, as her cheeks flushed a rosy pink.

"Hey. You doing alright?" A voice snapped him out of his thoughts.

"Yeah, why'd you ask? Do I have something on my face?" Kya chuckled at her brother as he over dramatically touched his face.

"Yes, just the look of a sad polarbeardog." Bumi raised a brow at his sister.

"I don't get it waterslug. Me? Sad?" Bumi let out a loud laugh, clutching his side. Wiping fake tears away from his eyes.

"Oh please, stop pretending." Kya touched his shoulder softly and smiled gently at him.

"They were for Lin, weren't they?" Bumi's eyes widened the smallest of a fraction, then he feigned confusion.

"What do you mean?" Kya had to admit, he was a good actor. If she hadn't known beforehand, she would have let it go as a simple misunderstanding.

"Oh Bumi…. You've got it bad. Lin's favorite flowers are hydrangeas and bluebells apparently, and what did you give Izumi?" Bumi scratched his head, committed to his act.

"How would I know that."

"How would _you _forget? You remember all our favorite foods, favorite everything, you always do. You're the only one who actually gets me what I want on my birthday!" Bumi sighed and his shoulders slumped, he glanced at the earth bender they were talking about. A soft smile graced his lips and Kya felt her chest tighten.

"I'm sorry Bumi. I didn't know…"

"Why are you apologizing? It's just fate Kya. Look at them." He tilted his head towards the couple dancing happily, lost in each other's eyes. "They were meant to be here together. I'm just the annoying older brother… the wild friend. I was never anything more than that. I just got my own hopes up…" Kya had never seen her older brother look so… distressed and hurt. She wasn't used to him being serious and sounding so vulnerable.

"No, I feel horrible! Tenzin had come to me for advice… and… I didn't know, so I told him to just go for it, I'm so sorry." Bumi flashed her a soft smile and squeezed her hand in reassurance, that he wasn't upset at her. The way he just accepted it, how easily he gave up his own desires, broke Kya's heart. In an instant, he was back to regular old Bumi. He waved enthusiastically at Izumi as she approached them and dragged her off to dance. Winking at Kya as he left.

Kya watched her two brothers on the dancefloor, not knowing who she was supposed to root for. She couldn't help herself from catching all the longing looks Bumi sent towards Lin, when he thought no one was looking.

She swears to the spirits she heard Bumi's heart break when Tenzin pulled Lin in for a kiss. Kya's glass fell and shattered on the floor and she was filled with dread and scanned the dancefloor for her older brother. He had disappeared.

Bumi stood outside one of the balconies on the upper floors. He took a deep breath, enjoying the cool fresh air flowing through his lungs. A leaf drifted in front of him and Bumi reached towards it. He slipped away from his fingers. He moved his hand in a smooth motion, one he had seen Tenzin do whenever he was training. But unlike his brother, no breeze followed his hand, no wind caused by him, no small tornado, nothing happened. He looked down at his rough hands, feeling an overwhelming wave of emotion threatening to break down his walls. Bumi had long ago accepted that his hands would never accomplish any spectacular feat that would bring joy and pride to his parent's face. These hands wouldn't save the world, wouldn't become a master bender, and he feared they weren't capable of making anything out of themselves.

He rested his arms along the balcony and leaned against it. Silently observing as people milled about. Couples walking hand in hand, leaving the gala. Drunk men stumbled out of the building, laughing as they struggled to keep their balance. Off to the side, near the garden, he noticed Lin and Tenzin chatting and laughing with each other. They were arm in arm and it hurt Bumi how they made a good couple. He heard his parents voice from below, talking about the couple.

"They make a perfect couple don't you think?" Aang asked his wife, she nodded her head and leaned her head against his shoulder.

"Our son is lucky, I heard she was gaining quite the popularity down at the station." Aang and Katara let out a small chuckle as they watched the two lovebirds. Aang turned as he heard someone's footsteps behind him.

"They make a perfect couple, the Avatar's son and the Chief's daughter!" Aang forced a smile towards the unwelcome politician as he tried to engage in small talk.

Bumi shifted his focus away from his parents back to his brother and Lin. '_They do make a perfect couple, the Avatar's son and the Chief's daughter… But I'm also the Avatar's son…' _Bumi let out a long sigh and look up towards the sky, twinkling with stars. It was a beautiful night, Bumi tried his best to enjoy the scenery. '_Everyone's always the center of attention. The star of the show, shining bright with potential and filled with promise. But me, I'm just regular old Bumi. Not a prodigy, yet I'm constantly surrounded by them.' _A shooting star illuminated the sky for a few moments before disappearing.

'_That's me. I'm not a star shining bright amongst the others. I'm a shooting star, that my parents had put all their hopes onto. Hoping I'd be an airbender like my father… Or at the least a water bender like my mother. They expected me to be a blessing and savior to the air nation. That I'd become their prodigy, their pride and joy. But all they got was me, a non bender, not anyone special, not anything spectacular, and nothing like their expectations. Their hopes on me fizzled out and disappeared, just like that falling star, to be forgotten along with all the unfulfilled wishes of someone.'_


End file.
